Wrinkle eradicator



Sept-29,1942. 0, BROWN WRINKLE ERADICATOR Filed Aug. 12, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IVY DEIB BROWN INVENT ATTORNEY Sept. 29 1942. l. D. BROWN2,296,903

WRINKLE ERADICATOR Filed Aug. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I r 2 3 IVY DEIBEYL BROW INVENTOR V o ATTORNEYPatented Sept. 29, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRINKLE ERADIGATORIvy Deibel Brown, Vista, Calif. Application August 12, 1939, serial No.289,885 5 Claims. (o1. 1'28l6) The present invention relates to animproved wrinkle eradicator embodying a cushioned pressure bandage to beworn on the forehead, for the purpose of smoothing out brow wrinkles,and includes a secondary pressure pad positioned so as to contact thearea between the eyebrows, for the purpose of smoothing out frownwrinkles; and also includes, a pair of auxiliary pressure pads,positioned so as to contact the areas adjacent the outer canthi of thewearers eyes, for the purpose of smoothing out those wrinkles which arecommonly known as crows-feet.

The device is simple and is so constructed that it will afford a properfit on different persons having considerable variations of facialdimensions and different anatomical contours. Gentle pressure isobtained by the contractile elasticity of the device, and the structureis such that the required pressure can be obtained without incidentallystretching the skin of the wearer.

The structure of the device is such that it can with facility bethoroughly cleansed, in accordance with modern sanitation and goodtaste, so

as to afford an aseptic condition at each in- Figure 1 is a perspectiveView of the invention, partly in section, and illustrates the mode ofuse.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an auxiliary pad, a part being broken away todisclose the reinforcing plate.

Figure 3 is a central section of Fig. 2.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar sections of modifications of theseauxiliary pads, Fig. 5 being a section of the pad shown in Fig. 1; andthe several Figures 2 to 6 are made to approximate actual size in theprinted patent.

Figure 7 is a front view of a simplified form of the invention, omittingthe auxiliary pads.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 7 and discloses the improvedstructure of the reinforced end flaps.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary front view of a simplified form of theinvention requiring only one head strap.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of one end of the device shown inFig. 1 and discloses the contacting end flaps for receiving the arm ofthe auxiliary pad therebetween.

Figure 12 is a transverse section through the center of either of theFigures 1-, 7 or 9 and discloses the pad bar the wrinkles.

Figures -8, 10, ll and 12 are drawn to ap'p'ro'ximate actual size in theprinted patent.

In an invention of this kind there is Considerable problem to devise aconstruction which will provide suitable pressure upon the forehead andbetween the eyebrows and at the outer ea nthi of the eyes, and at thesame time not obstruct the eye's nor surround them. The fact that theouter can'thi are naturally at the eye level, precludes the use of anycompression band at this level; furthermore, the ears of the wearer arenormally at this same revel and would interrere with a compression bandso placed, or rather such band would interfere with the ears. Any sortof elastic rubber mask with apertures for the eyes, is subject todistortion when stretched upon the face of the wearer; and furor this Afurther problem is to afford a gentle pressure in the required locationson the wearers face, and at the same time avoid stretching of the skin,as that would objectionably interfere with the result sought for. When asingle band of elastic rubber is stretched upon the forehead, the skinof the wearer will frictioh'ally engage the rubber and any stretching ofthe rubber will also stretch the skin and objectionably distort thetissues in a manner contra-indicated for the intended results.

stretched condition to the posterior or contacting surface of theenvelope. In this manner, it is possible to impart uniformly gentlepressure to the-skin of the forehead, without incidentally stretchingthe skin, as would otherwise be the case with a single band of elasticrubber. Means are also'prov'ided to simultaneously apply gentle pressurebetween the eyebrows and also at the outer canthi of both eyes of thewearer.

In its simplest form, the invention consists merely of the internallycushioned envelope having closed ends, with flaps and loops forreceiving head straps for holding the device in the intended position ofuse.

As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 the envelope which is generically referredto as E, encloses a cushioning member C which is preferably of spongerubber, and each end of the envelope is closed by inserting a tongue 3'between the anterior wall I and the posterior wall 2 and securing thistongue to these walls in some suitable manner, as for instance, byvulcanizing, so as to form an end flap F on each end of the envelope forthe purpose of attaching head straps for stretching the envelope uponthe forehead of the wearer. Preferably, the tongues have extensions 4which are inserted through loops such as 5 and folded back upon the endflaps F and secured thereto in some suitable manner, such as byvulcanizing. As shown in Fig. '7, each end flap may be provided with apair of loops 5 so as to accommodate two head straps; or, as shown inFig. 9, each end flap may have only one .oop for use with only one headstrap.

These tongues may be of rubber as indicated in Fig. 8 or they may be ofother suitable material as indicated at 3" in Fig. 10. The principalpurpose of these tongues is to provide a reinforcement in the end flapsso as to reduce their elasticity and to distribute the stretching effectthroughout the width of the envelope E in contradistinction to alocalized pull at the point of attachment of such head straps. Ifdesired, the extensions 4' may be omitted, and the loops 5 secured tothe end flaps in any practical manner; however, the previously describedconstruction is preferable because it affords an end flap which does notmake an imprint upon the skin of the wearer, as would otherwise be thecase were the loops secured by separate tabs saddled over the device inthe well known manner.

The cushioning member C need not and should not be united to either wallof the envelope E, as such joining would impart the contractile effectof the cushioningmember to the device as a whole, and objectionablydetract from the stretchability of the envelope, which would result inundue pressure when the device was stretched upon the forehead in theintended manner of use. This cushioning member C is merely enclosed inthe envelope E and the latter is stretchable and contractile independentof the cushioning member. If it is desired to reduce friction betweenthe contacting surfaces of the envelope with the cushioning member,these surfaces may be coated with some such substance as lycopodium,powdered soap, powdered soap stone, or talc.

Due to the spacing of the walls of the envelope by means of thecushioning member C, the device can be positioned upon the forehead, andthe interior wall I appreciably stretched without imparting a likestretch to the posterior wall 2. Thus, the elasticity of the anteriorwall I is employed to apply pressure to the forehead of the wearer,without stretching the posterior or contacting wall 2; and thecushioning member C suffices to evenly distribute the pressure. It willbe seen that the same results could not be accomplished by a single bandof elastic rubber, for the reason that stretching of the rubber incontact with the skin would also stretch the skin, because of thefrictional engagement of the rubber with the skin. Furthermore, when asingle band of elastic rubber is stretched upon the forehead, there isan excess of pressure upon the prominent portions of the forehead, andit is impossible to obtain an even distribution of pressure.

As shown in Fig. '7 and Fig. 8 a secondary pad 6 may be attached to theposterior wall 2, midway of the lower margin of the envelope E. This pad6 is preferably of soft rubber, and is for the purpose of contacting thearea between the eyebrows, to smooth out what are generally known asfrown wrinkles, even though they may be due to other causes thanfrowning. These pads may be of any suitable shape for affording therequired contact in this area which is usually a shallow depressionbetween the eyebrows and extending down to the bridge of the nose.Preferably, this pad is wedge shaped with well rounded edges, and thethicker portion should be positioned at the lower edge of the envelopeand the thinner portion extended centrally as indicated in Fig. 12. Thispad may be integral with the envelope, or else, optionally appliedthereto by any suitable adhesive which permits of removal at will. Whencushioned envelope is stretched upon the forehead, the resultingpressure is also imparted to this pad 6 which also derives thecushioning effect from the cushioning member C.

As thus far described, the device sufiices for forehead wrinkles andfrown wrinkles; and it is further desirable to provide means forcontacting the areas at the outer canthi of the eyes, to smooth out thewrinkles which are generally known as crows-feet.

Fig. 1 shows the preferred form of the invention which embodies meansfor applying gentle pressure to the forehead wrinkles, frown wrinklesand crows-feet, simultaneously. As here shown, the envelope E with thecushioning member C and pad 6 are the same as previously described, andthe end flaps are modified to accommodate them to holding the arms I ofsuitable auxiliary pads P for contacting the crows-feet wrinkles.

As here shown, each flap F is elongated and the extensions 4 arecorrespondingly elongated, and an additional tongue 8 mates with theflap F. As shown in Fig. 11, the tongue 8 and the tongue 3 are insertedinto the end of the envelope E, and the posterior wall 2 is secured tothe tongue 8, while the anterior wall I is secured v to the tongue 3,and the inner ends of these two tongues are secured together asindicated by the bracketed area V, thus forming a closure for the end ofthe envelope and providing a pair of mating flaps for contacting eachother; and of course both ends of the device are constructed alike.

A pair of arms I are provided, and each of these arms is insertedbetween the flap F and the tongue 8, so that when the device is securedupon the forehead, these arms will derive pressure from the flap F andparticularly from the lower extension 4 of the tongue 3, so as to holdthe pad P in contact with the face of the wearer.

The arm I may be merely a straight strip of metal and be frictionallyheld between the flap F and the tongue 8 which are of suitable length toprovide for positioning the arm 1 at various inclinations therebetween,so as to position the pad P either forwardly or rearwardly ascircumstances suggest and necessity requires. If desired, the arm I maybe provided with a stud 9, and the upper portion of the flap F may beperforated to receive this stud. In Fig. 1 and ment on the stud, for thepurpose of positioning the pad P in the required location, where it isthen held by frictional engagement between the flap F and tongue 8.

These auxiliary pads which are generically referred to as P, may be ofany suitable shape and size and may be either integral with the arm 1 orelse replaceably mounted on the arm in any suitable manner. They arepreferably of readily compressible rubber and may be reinforced by ametal plate as shown at M in Figures '2 to 6 which are drawn toapproximate actual size in the printed patent. Fig. 2 shows a round padP2 with a decentered stump S forengaging in the perforated end R of thearm I, for rotation about this eccentric stump S to alter the relativeposition of the pad P2, which is also shown in section in Fig. 3, and ofcourse, the same pad might be made with its stump centrally located.Fig. 4 shows a section of a pad P4 with a decentered stump and anoblique face. Fig. 5 shows a section of the pad P shown in Fig. 1, anddiscloses a groove G for sliding engagement with the arm 1. Fig. 6 showsa pad P6 having a rectangular perforation to slidably receive the end ofthe arm I. When pads such as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6 are used, thearm 1 may be imperforate, and of course such pads may be of variousshapes and sizes. The reinforcing plate M is preferably of sheet brass,as this metal readily adheres to rubber when cast therein. If desired,this reinforcing plate may be of hard rubber; or, in some instances, itmay be entirely omitted.

If desired, the stud 9 may be omitted from the arm I and the latter heldsolely by frictional engagement between the flap F and the tongue 8.

Any suitable head straps may be employed in the .loops 5 for the purposeof holding the device upon the forehead of the wearer. Fig. 1 shows thepreferred form of head straps. As here shown the upper strap passesthrough the upper loops 5 so that the inner reach I passes outwardlythrough one loop to an end D, and outwardly through the other loop,where a suitable fastener is provided, a buckle B being shown in thepresent instance. The lower strap is exactly the same. This arrangementof head straps is preferable, because when the end D is drawn up throughthe fastener B, the tightening effect is only one-half of the amount ofthe take-up, thus providing for more gradual and accurate regulation ofthe pressure of the cushioned envelope E upon the forehead. Furthermore,the user can with facility hold the ends D and B while appropriatelypositioning the cushioned envelope in the proper location upon theforehead, and then pull these ends to provide the required pressure bymeans of the inner reach I, and then fasten them together to maintainthe pressure upon the forehead. Furthermore, the inner reach "may bepositioned low on the back of the head and the ends fastened higher onthe head, so as to give a two directional pull, to assist in holding thestraps against slipping up or down. Also, this arrangement of strapsmakes it possible to unfasten the ends of the straps and hold them tomaintain the inner reach taut, so as not to allow the cushioned envelopeto inopportunely slip from its position.

In the utilization of the device, the skin is first cleansed and thentreated with a suitable convenient; say, an hour or more.

cosmetic preparation, many of which are readily available on the openmarket; and the device is then positioned upon the forehead and therequired pressure obtained by tightening the head straps. When eitherthe pad 6 or the auxiliary pads P are employed, the cushioned envelope Eshould be positioned with its lower margin covering the eyebrows, so asto bring these pads into their intended positions; and the position ofthe pads P can be further altered in any one of the previously describedmodes. Where the wrinkles are deep, they may be first smoothed out bypositioning the skin with the fingers while the head straps are beingtightened. The device is then worn for whatever period of time is foundThe nature of the device is such that it can be conveniently worn whilethe wearer is engaged in Various tasks in the privacy of the home. Theuse should be regularly repeated and each instance of use should be asprolonged as convenience permits. It is of advantage to moisten the skinimmediately before each instance of use, as the presence of moisture inthe tissues enhances the results.

One size of the device will fit many different sizes of faces. Thecushioned envelope should be about 2 x 5 inches, when used with theauxiliary pads P, so that these pads will be far enough forward to reachtheir intended locations. This size is also sufficient for the showingsin Fig. '7 and Fig. 9, but in those instances, the size is not animportant factor; however, it is unnecessary to make the cushionedenvelope larger than 3 x 6 inches.

Should it be desired to make the device in a single piece, all molded atonce, it is possible to charge the central portion of a mold with theproper materials for producing sponge rub her, and charge the ends ofthe mold with uncured rubber of the proper composition to form suitableflaps, and then mold the sponge portion integral with the end flaps; andthe entire device can be finished in what is usually known as gumdipped. It is conveniently practical to V mold the end loops into thedevice at the same time; or if desired, suitable eyelets may be securedin the end flaps, either at the time of molding or else subsequently.Proper consideration being given to producing adequate elasticity in thesponge portion and proper firmness in the end flaps, it is possible tomold a one piece device which will satisfactorily serve the intendedpurpose.

In the present disclosure, I claim as my invention:

1. A wrinkle eradicator comprising an elastic rubber envelope, acushioning member enclosed within said envelope, a pair of flaps formedat one end of said envelope, a pair of loops carried by one of saidflaps, an arm engaged between said flaps, a pad upon said arm, a likepad and arm and flaps and loops on the other end of said envelope, andhead straps passed through said loops for securing the cushionedenvelope upon the forehead of a wearer.

2. A wrinkle eradictor comprising an elastic rubber envelope, acushioning member enclosed within said envelope, a pair of flaps formedat one end of said envelope, a pair of loops carried by one of saidflaps, an arm engaged between said flaps, a pad upon said arm, a likepad and arm and flaps and loops on the other end of said envelope, headstraps passed through said loops for securing the cushioned envelopeupon the forehead of a wearer, and a secondary pad centrally positionedalong the margin of said envelope.

3. A wrinkle eradicator comprising an elastic rubber envelope, acushioning member enclosed within said envelope, a pair of flaps formedat one end of said envelope, one of said flaps being perforated, an armdisposed between said flaps, a stud upon said arm and engaging in saidperforation, a pad carried by said arm, like flaps and arm and stud andpad at the other end of said envelope, and means for attaching upper andlower head straps to the two perforated flaps.

4. A wrinkle eradicator comprising an elastic rubber envelope, a pair oftongues inserted into one end of said envelope and united with the wallsof the envelope and with each other within the envelope so as to form asealed closure therefor, a sheet of resiliently compressible materialenclosed within said envelope and mating with the size thereof to serveas a cushioning member spacing the walls of said envelope apart, saidenvelope being free of any attachment to said cushioning member, a pairof extensions on one of said tongues, each of said extensions having itsend folded exteriorly upon that tongue and secured thereto, a pair ofloops retained in the folds of said extensions, an arm engaged betweensaid pair of tongues, a pad carried by said arm, like tongues andextensions and loops and arm and pad at the opposite end of saidenvelope and a pair of head straps for said loops.

5. A wrinkle eradicator comprising an elastic rubber envelope, a tongueclosing one end of said envelope and united with the walls of theenvelope to form an end flap, said tongue having an extension foldedupon said end flap and secured thereto, a loop secured in said foldedextension, a like tongue and end flap and extension and loop at theopposite end of said envelope, and a sheet of resiliently compressiblematerial enclosed within said envelope and mating with the size thereofto serve as a cushioning member spacing the walls of said envelopeapart, said envelope being free of any attachment to said cushioningmember.

IVY DEIBEL BROWN.

